News: Politics & Current Affairs

Andy Burnham is 1/25 to be the next permanent Labour leader following his emphatic Makerfield by-election win. Keir Starmer is 1/20 to be replaced in 2026 and 1/16 not to lead Labour into the next election.

Bookmakers have priced the next Doomsday Clock announcement at 1/3 to move closer to midnight in 2027, with "No" at 6/4. The Bulletin has trended forward in recent years.

AI is the 3/1 favourite to be Oxford Dictionary's Word of the Year 2026, with "vibe" and "lowkenuinely" 4/1 second. Looksmaxxing, aura-farming, matcha and deepfake all also in contention.

Sheffield is the 4/6 favourite to be named UK City of Culture 2029, with Wrexham 5/4 and Portsmouth 6/4 leading a competitive nine-strong field that also includes Blackpool, Inverness-Highland and more.

Keir Starmer is 1/14 not to lead Labour into the next general election. 2026 is 1/6 favourite year for his replacement, with the July–September window 2/5 favourite for the leadership change.

Andy Burnham is 1/4 favourite to win Thursday's Makerfield by-election as a right-wing vote split between Reform UK and Restore Britain hands Labour the inside track. Vote share market also live.

General Election specials are heating up ahead of Thursday's Makerfield by-election. Reform lead the Most Seats market at 13/8 with Ladbrokes, while 2029 or later is evens to be next election year.

Andy Burnham is 1/4 to be the next Labour leader, and next Thursday's Makerfield by-election is the gateway that could trigger the most consequential leadership contest in a generation.

Donald Trump leads the TIME Person of the Year 2026 odds at 3/1, but NYC's Zohran Mamdani, Texas' James Talarico and Pope Leo XIV all share 4/1 in a genuinely open market.

Andy Burnham has publicly admitted his leadership ambitions on Question Time, and the Makerfield by-election on June 18 is his gateway to Westminster. Labour are 1/7 favourites but Reform are closing in.